On Frozen Blog

21 Comments

1. pepper wrote:

   Agreed.
   Plus I’ve never understood the ability of some to plop themselves in front of their computers to just watch a game on the screen. I suppose those more tech-savvy than I will instruct me on how to connect my laptop to a large screen, but even so I imagine the video quality would be poor, not to mention the occasional interruptions from the internet connection.
   Does anybody ever watch full games on TV in this manner (e.g. MLB) that can report a positive experience?

   12 March, 2007 at 9:19 pm | Permalink
2. pepper wrote:

   One other point – MLB.tv is about $90 while the MLB Extra Innings is about $150. There should of course be a similar disparity between the CI TV and online packages.

   12 March, 2007 at 9:20 pm | Permalink
3. 3 Grumpy Caps Fans wrote:

   I have to say, this is one of the few bad moves the NHL has made in their focus on web based content. If they wanted to push this, and I mean REALLY push it, they should have offered it free for the remainder of the season for all Center-Ice package holders. Get people watching first, then charge a modest add-on fee next year if absolutely necessary. But paying twice for the same content is a no-no for most consumers.

   12 March, 2007 at 10:34 pm | Permalink
4. Gustafsson wrote:

   3 Grumpy Caps Fans is tracking with me. If you’ve waited this long to go live with it, are you really concerned with making money now? I’ll be on travel the last 2 weeks of the season and I’d love to “take my Center Ice with me”, but not when I have to pay twice for it. Chances are if you are a TV subscriber the only time you’ll access online is when you are not home.
   This only helps those that can not get Center Ice the traditional route.
   To the NHL, I say “Booo!“

   13 March, 2007 at 1:35 am | Permalink
5. Michael McDonald wrote:

   awful…just do what I did and get a Slingbox and watch your Centre Ice package

   13 March, 2007 at 1:47 am | Permalink
6. Gustafsson wrote:

   Michael is 100% correct. I had forgotten about Slingbox. I know a few who have it and say it works quite well. That is definitely something to consider.
   Thanks for the reminder.

   13 March, 2007 at 2:07 am | Permalink
7. Off Wing Opinion wrote:

   The Antitode To NHL Center Ice Online: Slingbox…

   I couldn’t help but notice how distressed my friend Gustafsson over at On Frozen Blog is about the price of……

   14 March, 2007 at 4:35 am | Permalink
8. Doug wrote:

   I would have bought this for 50 bucks. Not over 100. I can’t believe they haven’t tried to discount this to try to reach new viewers.

   7 April, 2007 at 4:52 am | Permalink
9. Steve F wrote:

   Perhaps I too will have something to bitch about soon, so far since I’ve subscribed to this service every game has been blacked out. Do you actually get to watch games or do they just take your money and forget about you? I feel like I’m doing business with AT&A

   26 April, 2007 at 1:15 am | Permalink
10. tom wrote:

    does anyone know exactly where the sign up form is for this i wont get one of my teams games out here where i am and i need this package

    10 September, 2007 at 5:10 am | Permalink
11. Aaron wrote:

    Hi Tom, the early-bird special looks like $200 USD. http://www.nhl.tv/team/ then launch the player, and then click “Center Ice” and a page; or sometimes, an error, will appear that has a “Sign-Up Now” option at the bottom.
    I’m going to debate this for a couple weeks after hearing bad things about the online experiences last spring.
    Still, a lot cheaper for a guy like me who gave up having a tv at home, though I may upgade my desktop and monitor if CI Online is satisfactory; I don’t know if live games will be, but on-demand would be nice in the AM on my days off.

    11 September, 2007 at 1:31 pm | Permalink
12. Aaron wrote:

    Upon checkout, the $199 turns into $149.
    If it’s for last year, oh well, at least I’m in, and am hoping for the best. The games start in five days, oh my goodness.

    11 September, 2007 at 2:28 pm | Permalink
13. Aaron wrote:

    Can’t register until Sept 17th.

    13 September, 2007 at 3:27 pm | Permalink
14. Maleficoris wrote:

    Is it just me, or is the video quality not only horrible, but extremely small? I’ve yet to see the puck in any of the videos. I agree that sure, its better then maybe just listening to a broadcast, but not by much. Something tells me that if they want to charge at all for this service, they would offer the capability to stream higher resolution video.

    26 September, 2007 at 3:24 pm | Permalink
15. MoonDragn wrote:

    I got Center Ice online because Comcast did not offer the package in my area. The resolution is disappointing for the high price I’m paying. Even when you switch to full screen you still sometimes have a hard time making out the puck. If they can have center ice in HD, why not the stream? I have my computer’s output fed to my HD tv and would really enjoy it more if it was higher resolution equivalent to HD.

    25 October, 2007 at 8:39 pm | Permalink
16. ryan wrote:

    DO NOT GET Center Ice online!!
    I AGREE WITH MoonDragn, HORRIBLE PICTURE,plus after all my problems just getting it to work,(on the phone with the techs and emails)i find the picture is so bad, that its not worth it? and its not my computer or network, b/c i watch ufc PPV live all the time, and it works great.so here i am after all this messing around and they wont give me my money back b/c Ive had it longer then 15 days!! B.S. so i paid $200 for nothing. SO PLEASE DO YOUR SELF A FAVOR A DON’T BUY!! its better just to listen to the games on the radio on nhl.com.

    21 November, 2007 at 10:22 pm | Permalink
17. Ryan wrote:

    I just tried the free weekend special promotion of Center Ice On-line.
    The quality is “ok” — Think YouTube… definitely not Google Video or Broadcast TV rebroadcast (abc.com) quality.
    I thought the quality was alright for online… and the Center Ice Plus ability to watch games that have already passed is definitely a plus.
    You can only be connected from one IP address at a time… So no watching in the bedroom and the living room @ the same time or anything like that… or if your wife logs on to watch her game while you’re trying to watch on the road in a hotel… you’ll get booted of.
    Understandable.
    Here are the two reasons that made me decide not to buy Center Ice Onlne:
    1. This was the deal breaker… I’m watching the replay of Calgary v. MN Wild (my team) game from the end of January that I missed…
    It’s down to the wire… 36 seconds left… the Wild have been pushing hard and we’re down 3-2 with our net empty… and POOF… end of the video file… The last 36 seconds are cut off. End of Video. Game over. I had to go onto espn.com and see if we tied it up and had to go into OT.
    Come on… you’re paying a premium for low-quality viewing and we don’t even get to watch the end of the game?
    I have only watched one game through completely — but I can’t imagine that’s the only game in the entire system that cuts off early…
    2. Price — TOO Expensive. You’re paying for premium service … I’d like HD / Premium quality options. I just watched the NBC Game of the Week (Rangers v. Montreal) and it was beautiful… Yeah, it’s HD, but almost anything would be better than the 256kbps bit rate or whatever they’re using now.
    If I’m paying $200+ for Center Ice … I should be getting something … I mean seriously — watching 4 games at once is cool, but really… it’s not practical. ESPECIALLY at the video quality level.

    4 February, 2008 at 5:15 pm | Permalink
18. Brian wrote:

    I am a Canadian who has moved to the land down under, and since I really miss my hockey and my team I was excited when I heard about center Ice online. But after reading some of the comments I have I am second guessing signing up for it. Unfortunately for me this is however my only option (I think) to be able to watch my team….because even with the best Tv package over here you only get 2 games per week and none are west coast games. Does anyone have any suggestions on another way to watch NHL hockey live….or am I stuck for the time being getting crappy quality and only parts of games? Accompanied with the fact that I have to pay for a full season with only a select few games to go

    25 March, 2008 at 5:10 am | Permalink
19. gary wrote:

    good move NHL…move to an obscure BULL RIDING NETWORK and then lock people out from online viewing….
    you suck!
    love hockey…HATE the NHL

    15 September, 2008 at 4:03 pm | Permalink
20. CoyoteQ wrote:

    I would LOVE to pay for this package online – as I do not have a satellite and my cable company doesn’t offer this (Nor does it have Versus). BUT – when I try to sign up it tells me this is not available in my “broadcast area”. My broadcast area is the middle of f’n nowhere which is WHY I want this in the 1st place.
    No hockey on TV this winter is going to SUCK!
    Southern Indiana
    Q

    16 September, 2008 at 5:19 pm | Permalink
21. TRAVIS wrote:

    ITS NOT PRETTY BUT IT THE ONLY WAY I CAN GET MY TEAMS GAMES HERE IN ALASKA.

    27 September, 2008 at 9:55 pm | Permalink

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